Prevalence Of Cigarette Smoking Behaviour Among Secondary School Truants In Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria: Implications For Counselling

Abstract

This study investigated the roles of gender, peer-group pressure and school-based factors in determining truancy behaviour among secondary school adolescents in Ijebu-ode, Ogun State, Nigeria. A survey research design was adopted, and three hypotheses were generated and tested in the study. Two hundred and ninety-eight (298) chronic truants (comprising 195 males and 103 females) identified in selected secondary schools in Ijebu-ode were used for the study. They responded to Non-School Attendance Questionnaire with reliability coefficient (r =0.88), and Cigarette Smoking Prevalence Questionnaire with reliability coefficient (r =0.84). Class attendance registers in the various schools/ class were also used in collecting data on the truant-respondents. Data were analyzed using simple percentages, chi-square and T-test statistics. The findings revealed that male students are more into truancy than their female counterparts (65.44%). It was also observed that in all, the peer group pressure accounted for the highest source of influence (68.12%). The implications of these results for the students, parents, and the school were discussed.

African Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology and Sport Facilitation Vol. 10 2008: pp. 170-181